“Kegel is a master at transforming complicated facts into fascinating stories.” Die Welt
“We Are not Alone (...) Bernhard Kegel presents many interesting facts on the colonisation of our bodies by bacteria.” Norbert Lossau, Literarische WELT

“Biology is going through a very turbulent phase and Bernhard Kegel’s book is a guide through these exciting times, recommendable without hesitation.” Thomas Weber, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
“An equally entertaining as informative book.” Michael Lange, Deutschlandfunk

“Breathtaking insights into the world of microbes.“ Herbert Pardatscher, Bücherrundschau

You cannot live alone...

Do you like bacteria? Probably not. Although without microbes there would be no life on our planet. Yet it is only in the last few years that scientists are realising how staggeringly high their numbers and their significance, how close and manifold the connection really is between plants and animals and the microbial midgets. These new revolutionary insights, as described knowledgeably and visibly by Bernhard Kegel in “The rulers of the world”, will completely change the way in which we view both the phenomenon life and ourselves. Using advanced methods scientists are in the process of raising the curtain on a performance that is not so much about sickness, but more about health, cooperation and the division of labour.
The big questions need to be rephrased. What influence have these midgets had on evolution? What influence do they exercise today, and how can this knowledge be used in medicine? What influence do they have on the climate and the ecosystems? One thing is already clear - no creature is ever alone. Biological individuals do not exist and have never existed. That which is becoming apparent behind the curtain raised by modern science is nothing less than a breath-taking new image of the world we live in.

- The significance of bacteria for our health
- New revolutionary discoveries from biological science
- “Kegel is a master at transforming complicated facts into fascinating stories.” Die Welt

Bernhard Kegel, born in Berlin in 1953, studied chemistry and biology at Freie Universität Berlin, subsequent research activities, worked as an ecological specialist and lecturer. Guitarrist in diverse Berlin Jazz bands since the mid-nineteen seventies. Since 1993 Bernhard Kegel has published several novels and non-fiction books. He has been awarded several prices for his writing.